Equal
by KeikoDa'Kitteh
Summary: One-Shot. Skipper and Marlene have a baby and Private's not so thrilled. He beleives that once the baby's born, that his father is going to forget all about him. Hopefully, Skipper can convince him otherwise.


**A/N:**

**Just a One-Shot idea that popped into meh head... Don't ask how they managed to have a child together... :P**

**P.S: I will not use this quick OC for any other stories unless stated, soo... Yea.  
**

**P.S: I sorta rushed around the end. Sorry!**

**P.S.S.S: The pic I used doesn't belong to me, I found it on FanPop**

**Equal**

The cocnrete HQ stood silent, the only sound was of the small waves the gentle breeze would create outside of the habitat, the warm sun warming the pavement. It was almost as if a beautiful, multi colored rainbow should be forming in the not so distant horizon, above all of the fluffy white clouds.

But to one lone Penguin, the thought of a happy sign from the heavens seemed distant, the white clouds a plain grey. Private, the cadet, lay in his cubby-hole, his feathers ruffled and his eyes red. He'd been crying this whole time while the others comforted Marlene, who was currently giving birth to her and Skipper's offspring. Everyone was excited, especially the father, and so was he. That is, until the realization sunk into his fragile mind, staining itself into his concious.

He wasn't going to be in the picture anymore. He wasn't going to be the apple of his father's eye anymore.

Skipper was going to forget about him.

And the whole idea stung worse than the shots the doctor would give them in the bum. It was if his heart had been incinerated, turning itself into a pile of dust, and pretty much vaccum-cleaned, leaving an empty place in his feathered chest. Just when he though that he had finally found a family, just when he thought he wouldn't be alone anymore, Marlene and Skipper just _had_ to go on that second honeymoon...

Private wept, small hiccups emitting from his slighty parted beak, the feathers underneath his eyes matted as tears streamed down his cheeks and onto his pillow. The private wiped away as many tears as he could with a delicate flipper, pulling his unicorn dolly into his tightening grasp.

He perked his head up when he heard the grating the fishbowl would make against the pale concrete iceberg, but quickly pulled the dark green blanket over his head in a sad attempt to hide underneath it, not wanting to be coaxed out of the habitat. The youngest of the rookery sniffled and brought the delicate Lunacorn doll closer and pressing it against his crystal white chest feathers.

"Private...?" A masculine voice gently rang from behind the teenage chick, the tone more confused than any other recognizable emoting. Skipper waddled closer, tugging at the boy's blankey, who retaliated by pulling back towards his warm body and edging himself closer to the blank walls."What's wrong, son?"

Instead of answering the leader with an unexpected amount of sass in his voice, the younger Penguin gingerly replied with a shaky,"Nothing." The officer was tempted to just leave his step-son there, thinking that it was just probably a 'Phase' he was going through. But instead, he began nudging the smallest Penguin a bit rougher.

Private yelped, giving Skipper the chance to pull him out of the bed and onto his feet, but not without a struggle. Private flailed his sleek flippers in the air, kicking his webbed feet out with a grit beak, his eyes closed shut while he strained to free himself. "Skippah stop!" The youngster cried out, his voice hoarse from all of the crying.

"Then what's wrong?!" The oldest penguin grunted, pulling Private back instead of letting him crawl back into bed. Skipper held the boy even tighter and pulled him closer to his wide chest, trying to calm him. The youth whimpered and stopped fighting against the strongest of the team, slumping as he tried to stop himself from crying.

"Now, what's wrong?"

Instead of answering, he spun himself around quietly cried into the elder's ivory chest feathers, surprising the heck out of the squadron leader. Skipper cleared his throat in an attempt to gain the other's attention,"Ummm... Private?"

"Y-you don't w-want me anymore," Private wept, balling up both flippers into a tiny fist a rubbing his eyes. He innocently sat down on the floor instead of leaning against his father's chest and began sniffling. Skipper quickly lowered himself and sat down as well.

"What are you talking about?"

"When *sniffle* the baby's born you won't wan't me anymore... He's the *hiccup* new Private..."

Skipper arched a non-existant brow, confused at first, but then frowned when realized what was going through his child's head. He shook his head in disbeleif and sighed, rubbing the youth's back in a comforting fashion."Look, Private. No one, and I mean no one, is going to take your place. Your just going to have a little brother. You will both be equal in my eyes and will be treated as so."

Private looked up and hiccuped, his baby blue eyes almost growing in size as Skipper ruffled the black feathers on his head in a loving fashion. "Promise?"

"Soldiers promise, son. Now, do you want to see your little brother? I've got a surprise for you."

Private nodded and stood up, still slightly fragile from the whole incident.

***PoM***

The duo waddled into the room, the animals smiling down at them as they walked towards the chocolate furred otter's bed, occupied by two. Skipper smiled at his son and nudged him closer towards the bed. Marlene's long lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, gently smiling at the two Penguins. She picked up the bundle of blankets and handed the baby animal to Skipper, who gladly carried the child.

The commanding officer adjusted the blankets, moving them out of the baby's face and grinned at the sight. It was a chick covered in light grey down feathers, a small, honeybrown patch of feathers on the center of his chest. The chick's eyes popped open, revealing large green/ blue eyes.

"It's a boy, sir," Kowalski smiled at the commando, knowing that Skipper's chest was probably swelling with pride."Which also means you get to name it."

"He's so cute," Private whispered, letting the infant grab his flipper and tug on it. Private's blank expression turned into one of awe. Though the thought of being neglected still stood intact in his concious, he couldn't help but feel slightly anxious."What are you going to name him, Skippah?"

"I'm not going to name him."

"Huh?"

"You are," Skipper smirked, holding the bundle in one flipper and forcing the cadet's flippers up before handing him the child. Private stared at the baby in disbeleif before looking back at his father. He began to stutter,"W-what?"

"Your naming your little brother, not me. Surprise." Private smiled and looked back down at the chick.

"Can we name him Bowie?"

**THE END**


End file.
